The Little Mermaid, Oldboy remastered, and every new movie to watch at home this weekend

The Little Mermaid, Oldboy remastered, and every new movie to watch at home this weekend

Time Stamp: September 8, 2023 6:15 PM

Happy Friday, Polygon readers!

Each week, we round up the most notable releases new to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

This week we have The Little Mermaid, the latest live-action adaptation of one of Disney’s most beloved animated classics, starring singer-actress Halle Bailey. Martin McDonagh’s Academy Award-nominated tragicomedy The Banshees of Inisherin is finally available to stream on Hulu, while the new horror-thriller Blood Flower makes its debut on Shudder this weekend. That’s not all; there’s also exciting new releases on VOD this week as well, like the the remastered re-release of Park Chan-wook’s seminal revenge thriller Oldboy starring Choi Min-sik.

Here’s everything new to watch this weekend!

New on Disney Plus

The Little Mermaid

Where to watch: Available to stream on Disney Plus

Halle Bailey with Ariel’s green fin and red hair singing while looking up from the bottom of the ocean in The Little Mermaid Image: Walt Disney Pictures

Genre: Musical romantic fantasy
Run time: 2h 15m
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Daveed Diggs

The latest live-action adaptation of an animated Disney classic puts singer Halle Bailey in the role of Ariel. One of the biggest box-office hits of the year so far and one willing to change the original, it’s finally available to stream on Disney Plus.

From our review:

What makes The Little Mermaid isn’t whether the fish look good, or what exactly fuels Triton and Ursula’s feud. It all comes back to Ariel and her journey, which is fueled by the central romance between her and Eric. Just because Ariel falls in love doesn’t mean she’s not a strong and beloved protagonist, and just because Eric is a handsome and dashing prince doesn’t mean he lacks the substance behind that charming smile. By updating their romance, the 2023 Little Mermaid makes the love story more satisfying — and resonant for a new generation.

New on Hulu

The Banshees of Inisherin

Where to watch: Available to stream on Hulu

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson in The Banshees of Inisherin. Image: Searchlight Pictures

Genre: Tragicomedy
Run time: 1h 54m
Director: Martin McDonagh
Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon

Martin McDonagh makes his return to the British Isles with this tragicomedy period drama about Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), two lifelong friends whose sudden acrimonious split sends ripples throughout the close-knit community on the isle of Inisherin, which forces both men to consider what the value and purpose of friendship even is.

From our review:

The Banshees of Inisherin is a return to familiar territory for writer-director Martin McDonagh: It plays like a spiritual sequel to his pitch-black 2008 comedy-thriller In Bruges. That film, McDonagh’s feature debut, stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson as hitmen hiding out in a version of Bruges designed to feel like Catholic purgatory. Farrell and Gleeson also lead Banshees, another whip-smart, wryly amusing tale driven by existential dread. This time around, they play much simpler men — a farmer and a musician, respectively — but they have the same anguish as their assassin counterparts, resulting in a film that maintains a spiritual vice grip over its audience, in spite of the charming setting.

New on Shudder

Blood Flower

Where to watch: Available to stream on Shudder and AMC Plus

A woman with long dark hair, rotting teeth, and white skin with deep red veins screaming in a disheveled room in Blood Flower. Image: XYZ Films

Genre: Horror
Run time: 1h 42m
Director: Dain Said
Cast: Idan Aedan, Bront Palarae, Remy Ishak

This supernatural horror thriller centers on Iqbal (Idan Aedan), an apprentice healer and exorcist who attempts to suppress his ability to sense the spirits of the dead in order to live an ordinary life. When a malevolent spirit escapes from his apartment and begins to wreak havoc, Iqbal must call upon all his training and talent to dispel the vengeful entity while uncovering his family’s own dark history.

New to rent

Landscape with Invisible Hand

Where to watch: Available to purchase on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu

(L-R) Kylie Rogers and Asante Blackk in Landscape With Invisible Hand. Photo: Lynsey Weatherspoon/MGM

Genre: Sci-fi comedy-drama
Run time: 1h 45m
Director: Cory Finley
Cast: Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers, Tiffany Haddish

Bad news: An alien species has taken over the Earth. Good news: Two teens have a plan to save it. Bad news again: The plan is to distract the aliens by sharing their dating life, and the teens are starting to hate each other.

That’s the setup for the offbeat sci-fi comedy Landscape with Invisible Hand, from Thoroughbreds writer-director Cory Finley. Add in Tiffany Haddish and William Jackson Harper, and you’ve got the makings for a very fun time.

Oldboy remastered

Where to watch: Available to rent on Apple

Choi Min-sik aims a hammer at the head of a man sitting in a dark hallway, a cartoonish dotted line extending from the head of the hammer to the man’s forehead in Oldboy. Image: NEON

Genre: Neo-noir revenge thriller
Run time: 2h
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Choi Min-sik, Yoo Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung

Park Chan-wook’s indelible cult-classic noir thriller returns with an all-new 4K remaster. Oldboy centers on the story of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a Korean businessman who is abducted and held in captivity for over 15 years. After being set free, Dae-su searches for the people responsible for his abduction to discover why he was targeted and why he was released. In his search for answers, Oh Dae-su will be confronted with answers and revelations far darker than any he could’ve imagined.

Strays

Where to watch: Available to rent on Amazon, Apple, and Vudu

Genre: Adventure comedy
Run time: 1h 33m
Director: Josh Greenbaum
Cast: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, Isla Fisher

It’s a dog comedy… but this time, they talk like filthy adults. If you’ve seen any ads for this movie (and if you haven’t, where have you been and how can I get there?) you will know this is rated R. The movie follows a dog (Will Ferrell), abandoned by his owner, who allies with strays to take revenge. It’s written by American Vandal and Players co-creator Dan Perrault and Jamie Foxx is in it, so there’s a good chance some of the many jokes are quite funny.

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